Brownfields Redevelopment in Georgia

Fanning faculty members are pleased to partner with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to encourage the redevelopment of environmentally contaminated sites in Georgia.  Fanning works with state and federal regulators to help Georgia communities and the private sector understand and more easily use federal and state incentives for brownfield redevelopment. 

What is a brownfield? Essentially, a brownfield is a real estate transaction waiting to happen.  A brownfield describes a piece of commercial or industrial property that is contaminated (soil, water or both) and therefore more difficult to redevelop than greenspace or other uncontaminated sites. These properties are often in desirable locations, but fears about liability for environmental contamination create barriers to redevelopment.  In Georgia, sites must have actual contamination to be eligible for brownfield incentives, while the perception of contamination is often sufficient to invoke federal incentives.

What incentives are available in Georgia? In Georgia, two types of incentives are available to PROSPECTIVE purchasers of brownfield sites: a limitation of liability and a tax incentive. If a person or entity has contributed to the contamination of a piece of property, or they have taken title to the property (even if they did not cause or contribute to contamination on the property), they are not eligible for Georgia brownfield incentives. Prospective purchasers must apply for the incentives prior to taking title to a piece of contaminated property. Both public and private entities may take advantage of the incentives, and the tax incentive (similar to a tax abatement) is fully transferable to later purchasers of the property.

What federal incentives are available? Grants are available for site assessment and cleanup in various forms. A significant difference between the state and federal incentives is that the federal grants are generally only available to governmental entities (states, regional governments, cities, counties, etc.)—not private parties. Not-for-profit organizations have a limited ability to apply for a remediation grant on property they have acquired. Similar to the Georgia incentives, the applicant cannot have caused or contributed to the contamination on the brownfield site. In the past, grants have been available for up to $200,000 per site for hazardous substances, and up to $200,000 per site for petroluem contamination.  For more about federal grants from US EPA, visit www.epa.gov/brownfields.

What is the Georgia Brownfields Academy? The Georgia Brownfields Academy is an educational and networking opportunity offered twice a year to public and private sector professionals interested in redeveloping brownfield sites.  Anyone interested in furthering redevelopment opportunities for communities and individuals is invited to attend. The most recent Georgia Brownfields Academy was held April 18, 2008 at Enterprise Mills in Augusta. The agenda and academy materials are available for download.  The next Georgia Brownfields Academy will be held on September 18, 2008 in Rome, Ga.

What is the National Brownfields Association?  Several Fanning faculty are members of the Executive Committee of the newly-established Georgia Chapter of the National Brownfields Association.   The NBA is a national association of professionals and organizations involved in brownfields redevelopment around the country.

Who can help if I have questions?

• Faculty members Courtney Tobin (ctobin@fanning.uga.edu) and Mac Brown (macbrown@fanning.uga.edu) are available to assist with any questions you may have about incentives, technical assistance, or the Georgia Brownfields Academy.
• The U.S. EPA website has a tremendous amount of information, including summaries of all past grant recipients, listed by state and project type, and information on applying for future grants.
• Madeleine Kellam is Georgia's brownfields coordinator, and she and her staff would be happy to talk to you about the specifics of the state incentives. You may reach her at madeleine_kellam@dnr.state.ga.us.